That of having experienced the bottom rung

I had a couple of really good bosses, in different ways. One was better than the other, and would stand up to upper management routinely. The other played the office politics better, but still went to bat for his employees. They cared about quality, knew how to effectively delegate, were generally even-tempered, stood firm when needed but were approachable otherwise, and would roll up their sleeves to make sure work was done when we were short-staffed.

You can have your dream job, but have it ruined by an idiot manager. Good bosses are encouraging, positive, clear with their expectations, and strict as needed. Bad bosses are bullshitting backstabbing psychopaths who will throw you to the wolves at the drop of a hat. I've experienced both.

Many of the same traits that make a good parent make a good boss. Boundaries with consequences for crossing them and, a positive, morale-boosting approach to employees can go a long way.

I always felt that you needed to have your workers back and expected the same from you. Instill integrity in your people as well as loyalty. Having empathy with other people goes a long way. Being a hard worker and not being afraid of doing whatever you ask of your subordinates. You have to be firm but fair.

As long as he knew when the cut people loose, sounds like he was a good boss

My boss is amazing she actually cares can't ask for more than that..

As the best boss I ever had once said, I'm just a leader among equals....in short, being treated with respect.

my best boss was Italian, he loves life and family, and getting real pissed on the company credit card

Respect, humility, the ability to enforce rules without being authoritarian. And patience. So much patience. Lack of it is what causes bosses to snap or crack

My most excellent boss taught me how to lead. Assume your workers want to do a good job. Your job is to clear the obsticles so they can get their work done. When mistakes happen it is a training opportunity. Only after several training opportunities for the same thing do you actually get nasty. Pay attention to your workers not so you can attack them, but so you can encourage and support them. Note who stays late and thank them. It is amazing what an occasional thank-you donut does for moral. Sit down and learn their job and do their job when they are on vacation so they come back to a not very big backlog and you have a much greater appreciation for what they do, and it will probably show in how your repect them.

most bosses infuriatingly mistake leadership with dictatorship, not understanding the principle of democracy whereby everyone - including the boss/president/teacher - has but one vote. it keeps any system alive, which is the guaranteed way of success. all else is doomed for failure sooner or later, stagnation & rigidity being an antidote to life & thriving.

i wouldn't accept any authoritative force over me at this point in my life.

I've run the gamut from excellent to shitty bosses, and I tried to be a good one myself. The best ones give you what you need to succeed, nudge you into areas where you ought to be, and trust you to do the job. And yeah, they have your back no matter what. I always tried not just to be a good leader, but to develop good leaders. You want to have guys that can do it on their own, but come see you when they need help, and trust you to help when they ask. Bad bosses blame you when things don't go right. Good bosses blame themselves for not anticipating what could go wrong. A good boss is a partner, a bad one tells you what you did wrong after things go sideways. And a good boss always knows what you are up to, because he or she makes sure to communicate regularly.

I had a good boss the inspired me but so were my parents.

I have had a few good ones. My favorite was a Viet Nam vet that made his superiors afraid of him. He tried his tricks on me and I promptly called him a crusty old bastard. We became great friends after that.

I've had 4 managers/bosses before. They all are bosses, not leaders. 3 got demoted, and now my current one is okay. For now.

A good boss has a real and posiive vision of what he and his organization want to accomplish and recognizes that people are absolutely essential to attainment of that vision. He or she encourages his employees, treats them with dignity and respect, gives them opportunities to grow, and recognizes and rewards them when they succeed.

At the same time, he or she seeks excellence in the performance of individuals and in theentire organization. He corrects people caringly when they are not meeting standards or going in the wrong direction, and points them in the drection of more effecive action. He or she celebrates personal and organizational victories. He or she tries to get "the big picture" and encourages others to do the same. He or she wants effective planning to attain organizational goals, but also encourages nimble action when new opportunities arise.

I have had some good bosses, but never a great one. Read IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE.

A smart person will always employ people who are smarter than themselves, or at least better at the job. A good boss will give credit where it is due and not take credit for the efforts of their subordinates, except as their leader. A good boss should be the only person you report to, you shouldn't be answerable to others further up the line, that is your bosses job. A good boss will accept that there are times when forces outside will affect your life, you and your capacity to work, or be at work, this is the real world. A good boss does not micro manage, if you know how to do your job, they let you do it and believe you have the brains to ask if you are unsure, that said, a good boss is approachable so staff are willing to ask if such help is needed.

One of the best bosses I had when I was in Employee/Labor Relations, had a saying, "Don't do something because you have the right to do it, do it because it's the right thing to do". That has always stuck with me.

The default boss style is McGregor's "Theory X"...you can look it up, I'm not going to describe it. It is a demeoning style. The management style that utilies the psychology needs of the worker to motivate is McGreggor's "Theory Y". I am now retired and only had one good boss...he would have never heard of McGregor's management styles...way before that time. Nevertheless, the boss I referred to was a gentleman.

Anyone who thinks of himself or herself as a boss, won't be good in a position of authority, a leader not a boss is required to be a good manager or supervisor.

The man you describe is a leader.

One who knows his job and isn't afraid to work along side anyone. Synergism is the key to success in any job and the more heads the better the results are going to be. To let yourself get pushed into a job thats over their heads or that no one else wants. If all you get is negative appreciation or get put into the burn out then get out.

One who knows his job and isn't afraid to work along side anyone. Synergism is the key to success in any job and the more heads the better the results are going to be. To let yourself get pushed into a job thats over their heads or that no one else wants. If all you get is negative appreciation or get put into the burn out then get out.

The best bosses aren't bosses--they're leaders. They set examples, listen, and guide. At the same time, they make the hard-nosed decisions which are necessary. I've found very few of them, a fact which made me truly appreciate the gems I found.

I've had my share of bad bosses.
When I was in charge, both in the Army and out, I never asked/told anyone to do a job I wouldn't do. I had their backs when it came to higher ups and never passed the $hit down hill unless I needed to. In short I cared about them, sometimes it felt like I was the only one to do so.